Chapter 709: North Jinjiang King

He bowed before the formation. Li Zhouwei, surmising there were still cultivators from Miyun Cave in his dwelling, took a step forward. The heavenly light shining down from his halberd, he asked:

"This King has heard there's a human presence in your territory. How many cultivators are there? Are they for cooking or stewing? Or are they envoys from some force?"

With Li Zhouwei's question, the snake demon understood why he hadn't entered the formation but instead called him out. He replied respectfully:

"This humble demon has no background and didn't know of your esteemed presence here. I would never dare to harm Your Majesty. Those in the formation are from a small nearby force... called Miyun Cave. They've come to deliver blood offerings to me..."

"To the south, the Mingyang Purple Mansion Immortal Clan has emerged and wants to claim this territory. They are quite rigid. Although I don't fear them, I'm too lazy to deal with them. So, I just accepted the blood offerings from Miyun Cave and introduced them to my Great King."

"Oh?"

Li Zhouwei did not enter the formation; instead, he sat down where he was and asked:

"Does your Great King intend to get involved in human affairs?"

"Naturally not..."

The snake demon hesitated for a moment, thinking this wasn't really a secret. Focusing on pleasing the golden-eyed beast, he said respectfully:

"It's just to discuss a few things with Your Majesty. Baijiang Stream is the water vein here, and my Great King is skilled in water manipulation. As the master of water veins, it's not difficult for him to manage spirit waters and springs, or to influence spiritual rice cultivation through them..."

"The people from Baiye Imperial Immortal Dao seem to have more matters to consult with Your Majesty... As for the specifics... I do not know."

He spoke with his head bowed, his colorful robe trailing on the ground, suggesting his true form was a colorful python. Li Zhouwei had mostly made his assessment when he saw two more cultivators fly out from the mountain cave dwelling. The leader was a heavily made-up woman, who came down the mountain with a face full of caution.

This snake demon did not recognize Li Zhouwei, but none of the Three Schools of Mipan could ever forget him. The moment he landed in front of the mountain, he was immediately recognized by a minor soldier from Miyun Cave. In just a few words, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from Miyun Cave was invited out.

Li Zhouwei secretly gripped his long halberd. The Floating Gold in Juque Court shimmered, and the Upper Radiance Hidden Light secretly circulated, bringing his entire magical power to its peak. The colorful python demon then heard shouts from within the formation:

"Mang Huazi! Don't let him deceive you... That's a person from the Li family!"

The colorful python demon stared blankly and raised its head, only to see Li Zhouwei's expression unchanged. Only a flicker of golden light suddenly appeared between his broad, kind eyebrows.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion rang out above, and the mountain flashed once. The golden Upper Radiance Hidden Light vanished in an instant, bringing tears to Mang Huazi's eyes as she stood up and summoned a demonic wind to retreat.

This heavily made-up woman, pitifully, had just emerged from the formation when she was met head-on by the Upper Radiance Hidden Light. Her body erupted with a bang, showering sparks like rain, and white smoke suddenly billowed as she cried out in pain:

"Aiyoh... I'm in terrible pain!"

The colorful python demon was right there; how could Li Zhouwei let it escape? Using the Upper Radiance Hidden Light to kill it would be overkill. First, he used a streak of magical light to strike down the strongest woman from Miyun Cave. Only then did he raise his Great Ascent Halberd and say:

"Why are you running?"

Mang Huazi was a mix of shock, anger, and deep humiliation. She assumed he had deceived her with some strange immortal foundation or eerie sorcery. She conjured a bone-like magical artifact, held it in her hand, and cursed:

"You..."

Before she could utter another word, Li Zhouwei's Great Ascent Halberd had already pierced towards her chest. The black-red aura of the "Jiazi Soul Refining Halberd Art" flew out, merging with bright light and casting dark shadows. Mang Huazi had no chance to speak and braced herself to block with her artifact.

"Clang!"

The halberd struck the bone artifact, and with a dull thud, Mang Huazi's face instantly turned pale, almost revealing her true form.

Li Zhouwei had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage over ten years ago. He spent far more time on magical arts than on cultivation and constantly outwitted and outfought the Three Schools of Mipan. His combat prowess was extremely strong. Although he was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he was a veteran of a hundred battles, with exceptionally stable and profound cultivation.

Mang Huazi was also at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage but was not outstanding. She was no match for Li Zhouwei and immediately realized something was wrong upon engagement. She was only saved from making a fool of herself by the quality of her magical artifact.

However, Li Zhouwei exerted force with one hand, turning the Great Ascent Halberd. Its specially designed curved halberd head immediately hooked the bone artifact. A torrent of bright light surged forth, preventing her from retracting the artifact.

Mang Huazi couldn't pull her artifact free. Seeing bright light rise from Li Zhouwei's brow again, she was scared out of her wits, feeling utterly wronged and frustrated:

"Who is this person? He's probably a direct descendant of a Purple Mansion expert! Someone like the King of Beijin River! Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken!"

She held a mouthful of magical power, activated her Immortal Foundation Concealing Dust Mist, and sprayed out a patch of pitch-black light, obscuring her entire figure. Hiding in the darkness, she first made sure the magical light from his brow lost its target.

"Petty trick!"

Unexpectedly, Li Zhouwei opened his eyes, which overflowed with golden brilliance, piercing through the darkness. The Mingyang Dao was not lacking in means of perception, let alone his innate extraordinary eyes. He simply declared loudly:

"Begone!"

A spark erupted, and white smoke dispersed. Mang Huazi wailed, and blood cascaded down as a large hole appeared in her chest. With a panicked expression, she cried out:

"Please, Your Excellency, spare my life! It's not too late to kill me after you've informed my Great King..."

Before she could finish speaking, the Great Ascent Halberd descended from the sky. Mang Huazi could no longer maintain her human form, revealing her true self: a magnificent, vividly patterned giant python. She landed in the forest, and the Great Ascent Halberd relentlessly pursued, pinning her at her vital point, rendering her immobile.

Li Zhouwei hadn't even used his full strength. The Yangli Red Sparrow Banner remained unused in his sleeve, and he hadn't activated the "Solar Response Separation Art." Yet, he had subdued this demon. He immediately strode to the serpent's head and commanded:

"Summon the King of Beijin River."

With Mang Huazi swiftly suppressed, the few individuals from Miyun Cave fared no better. Li Cheng's reputation preceded him, and their leader had been wounded by Li Zhouwei. Thus, no one dared to confront him, and they all retreated in various directions.

Li Minggong held the Six-Horned Scarlet Flame Brazier. The injured female leader, gathering her breath, maintained the formation's integrity, stopping before it, and shouted:

"Are you from Wangyue Lake? My Miyun Cave has never offended the Immortal Clan, so why do you attack and injure me?"

"Miyun Cave?"

Li Minggong shook her head and declared loudly:

"We are here by command to eliminate demons. We've only seen a few demonic cultivators colluding with evil demons; we haven't seen any Miyun Cave cultivators."

The woman was instantly speechless. While her own connection with this demon wasn't a major offense, being cornered by the Li family before the formation meant Li Minggong could say anything she wanted. Anger surged within her, and she said coldly:

"Why are you going too far!"

"Going too far?"

Li Minggong found it amusing. She recognized the woman before her as Miaoshui of Miyun Cave, with whom she had once exchanged blows. Back then, she hadn't held back at all. She raised the Six-Horned Scarlet Flame Brazier, puffed out her cheeks slightly, and exhaled.

With her breath, pure Feathered Separation Flame immediately surged out from the brazier, resembling red and white goose feathers raining down, blowing towards Miaoshui.

Miaoshui naturally recognized Li Minggong. In her memory, this woman was merely an unknown, having been easily defeated by her within twenty moves, so she hadn't paid her much mind. Who would have thought that these goose-feather-like flames, when blown over, would actually cause a stinging sensation on her face?

She had been injured by the impact of the Upper Radiance Hidden Light, and her magical power was unstable. In contrast, Li Minggong had just acquired the Six-Horned Scarlet Flame Brazier, empowered by pure Feathered Separation Flame, which suffocated her for a moment. Even more terrifying was Li Cheng, standing behind Li Minggong!

One Li Minggong was enough to give her a hard time, let alone with Li Cheng glaring like a tiger. Miaoshui could only shout:

"Quickly, come out of the formation and save me!"

This grand formation belonged to Mang Huazi. It was easy for Miaoshui to come out, but she couldn't simply retreat back into it. The few people inside the formation heard her words and all showed hesitation.

'Li Zhouwei is also outside... going out there would be courting death...'

The shortcomings of Miyun Cave's makeshift troupe were once again exposed. Neither of the two people in the formation moved. Miaoshui, enraged, said fiercely:

"Staying in the formation is also waiting for death; what's the difference!"

Only then did someone rise on the wind, shouting to come out and assist her. Old Man Qu Bushi, the most sensible among them, immediately grabbed his magical artifact to help. Li Cheng held one hand steady, and six silver-white Profound Punishment Tokens immediately floated up, revolving around his wrist, emitting intense lightning.

"Yang reaches its peak, giving birth to six thunders!"

Qu Bushi held back one person, and Li Cheng's silver-white lightning immediately surged out, striking the other person. This demonic cultivator couldn't utter a single word, only letting out an earth-shattering scream as black mist billowed around him.

Although Li Cheng's cultivation was not as high as Li Qinghong's back then, his mastery of lightning spells was only slightly inferior. This single bolt of lightning nearly knocked his opponent unconscious.

Li Qinghong had good cultivation talent and loved the spear, but he actually had little achievement in magical arts. Li Cheng, however, was completely different. Not only was his cultivation technique the more complete "Soaring Cloud Thunder Interrogation Art," but he had also cultivated amidst the rising and falling tides and thunder of the East Sea since birth. After achieving Foundation Establishment, the Li family had already become a prominent aristocratic family, and the magical resources he received were far superior.

And the most crucial Purple Talisman Primordial Light secret art of the Lightning Strategy and Cloud Mooring Dao, which Li Qinghong had researched her entire life, had all been left within the clan!

When he wielded his magical artifact, he was awe-inspiring. His opponent, moreover, was a demonic cultivator. In just twenty exchanges, this person had lost half their life, making Qu Bushi's eyes burn with fervor:

"Good, good, good... The Li clan is truly a sign of great prosperity. Li Cheng alone is formidable enough, and there's also Li Zhouwei!"

The old man had cultivated for many years and possessed keen insight. Li Cheng's Six-Thunder Profound Punishment Tokens were clearly more powerful than the Scarlet Flame Brazier, yet he could tell at a glance that Li Minggong relied on the might of her artifact, while Li Cheng did not.

Li Cheng suppressed the demonic cultivator in dozens of exchanges, while Li Minggong steadily pressured Miaoshui. She knew this woman was shrewd and that summoning these few people was merely an attempt to create an escape opportunity for herself. Li Minggong remained vigilant, not allowing her to get away.

It wasn't until Li Zhouwei suppressed Mang Huazi and came over on a beam of light that the woman finally realized she had no escape. She whispered:

"Your esteemed clan suppressing the Water Tribe in this manner is disrespectful to the King of Beijin River. However, my Cave Master already paid respects to a True Person, and the two parties reached a reconciliation. Why bother me like this?"

She feigned ignorance despite knowing the truth, and Li Zhouwei did not respond to her. He merely noticed the moist air, the rising stream, and how Baijiang Stream beneath his feet gradually grew turbulent. He waited with crossed arms.

Li Cheng also sensed it, narrowing his eyes to look. Qu Bushi hastily said:

"It's the King of Beijin River!"

In response, a waterfall of water erupted from the stream's surface, the white-foamed stream shooting straight into the sky. A cerulean treasure carriage broke out of the water, shimmering with light. Two rows of shrimp soldiers and crab generals rode the water, surrounding it front and back. The stream water surged, rising all the way to the foot of the mountain.

Mang Huazi, pinned to the ground and unable to move, showed no reaction. Miaoshui, however, breathed a sigh of relief. Although still surrounded by enemies, she dared not laugh aloud, but secretly chuckled to herself:

"Now it's impossible to explain... My Miyun Cave is still on Mang Huazi's side. Who's right and who's wrong? How can they not see clearly?"

However, standing before the carriage was a hunchbacked old man, dressed in a dark ink-black overcoat, holding an odd-looking water conch. As the carriage raced all the way down the mountain, the old man spoke in a hoarse voice:

"May I ask which mountain's esteemed lord you are? This small snake may have disrupted your pleasure, but there's no need to go so far..."

His words were polite enough, but his expression was very displeased. If not for Li Zhouwei's obvious difference, he likely wouldn't have uttered even this civil remark. Miaoshui heard this and quickly shouted:

"Your Excellency, this is the Li clan's army. They want to kill Mang Huazi for no reason..."

Li Minggong gritted her teeth, her flames growing fiercer. Yet, a clear, rather cold voice came from inside the carriage:

"Shui Zhao... No need to say more!"

This Shui Zhao was clearly the old man in black. Persuaded by the voice, the crystal curtain was then lifted, and a man descended from the carriage.

The man was tall, dressed in a stone-blue embroidered short jacket, with a white velvet brocade cape depicting a cerulean sea draped over it. One could vaguely see fine, dense jade-green scales on his neck, giving him an exotic and imposing appearance.

The moment he revealed himself, Li Zhouwei immediately recognized him.

"So it was you..."

Li Zhouwei's original suspicion was finally confirmed. His heart immediately eased, and he secretly chuckled.

Back then, Li Zhouwei had been a guest of Dragon Son Ding Jiao, drinking wine aboard his carriage. Besides the songs and dances of various water tribes, there were noble species fighting for entertainment... one was a treasured scale ferry beast, and the other was a jade-necked flood dragon. Before Ding Jiao, they were like two dogs, tearing at each other for his amusement.

This King of Beijin River—was precisely that jade-necked flood dragon!

Ding Jiao had also once asked him about the "Ever-evolving Water Confluence Profound Light." Li Zhouwei had offered his evaluation, thus leaving him deeply impressed by this magical art. Earlier, hearing Old Man Qu mention it was a water-manipulation technique, adept at using bewildering illusions and profound light that turned into blood water, he immediately made the connection.

Now, seeing him in person, his guess was indeed correct. Li Zhouwei's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly chuckled to himself:

'I heard he's highly regarded by the Dragon Son, who even sends people specifically to find him when passing through Baihai Stream. How is this not specifically sending people to find him? Excellent, excellent!'

As he recognized the Jade-Necked Flood Dragon, the King of Beijin River imperiously swept his gaze over them. His eyes were sharp, his appearance dignified, and he was clearly displeased, until his gaze met Li Zhouwei's face.

In just an instant, his gaze transformed from calm to astonished, and then from astonished quickly to extreme terror. The Jade-Necked Flood Dragon's expression turned frantic. He hastily rode the water forward, and under everyone's gaze, he arrived before Li Zhouwei. Hurrying to bow with cupped hands, he respectfully said:

"Greetings, Your Majesty... This lowly demon failed to recognize your greatness and offended your esteemed presence... I am utterly ashamed and terrified. I shall immediately take this creature's life and prepare snake stew for Your Majesty."

The Jade-Necked Flood Dragon turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Mang Huazi below, filled with chilling coldness and revulsion, as if seeing something all demons would shun. He coldly commanded:

"Shui Zhao, quickly dispatch him!"